Subject: MediAlert! - April 21
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 21:02:44 -0400

------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX: "MediAlert!   -   April 21"

-Item 1: "Chances Are" [Sally Lee; YM (Young & Modern); Life Crisis].
-Item 2: "Good Sports" [Wide World of Sports; ABC; Martina Navratilova; USA
Today; State Farm; ABC Online].
-Item 3: "e-Media Activism" [Eye On New York; NPR; McSpotlight; Star
Trek-Voyager; Update; Dyke March; MCI/Rock The Vote; Queer CyberCenter;
Electronic Frontiers Foundation; Reporters Committee; European Journalism
Centre].
-Item 4: "Counter-Intelligence" [Family Research Council; Washington Watch;
The Report; The Beeson Report; The March on Washington; Civil Rights or
Crisis in America; AIDS-The Unnecessary Epidemic; Media Research Center;
Faith in a Box].
-Item 5: "Sound & (Un)Sound Bites" [Kevin Jennings/GLSTN;
[email-masked]/Focus on the Family].
-General Information [about GLAAD; about MediAlerts].
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  M  e  d  i  A  l   e  r  t  !
  ___________________

  for the week of 
  April 21, 1996

  by Al Kielwasser 
  Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation,
  San Francisco Bay Area 

[ 1 ]

C H A N C E S   A R E . . .  

"Agonizing life problems solved by editor."  So promises the subhead of Sally
Lee's advice column, "Life Crisis."  Lee is the editor of "YM" ("Young &
Modern") magazine.

In a recent issue, Lee's column is devoted to a letter signed "Completely
Confused."  The reader writes:  

"Dear Sally, I'm 15 and lately I've been having some weird feelings that I
can't talk about with anyone -- I'm attracted to other girls!  I've always
liked dating guys and I've had boyfriends, but recently I've started checking
out girls I think are pretty.  Does this mean I'm bisexual?  I'm worried my
friends will start to notice that something's up with me.  Please help."

In reply, Lee advises her reader first to:  "Relax -- it's very typical for
girls to crush on other girls, but I don't blame you for being a little
wigged.  Although there's nothing wrong with the feelings you're having, this
is definitely not one of those dilemmas you can casually chat about with your
friends or your 'rents.  The idea of bisexuality really freaks some people
out."

Lee then explains that:  "What being bisexual means is that you feel
physically attracted to guys AND girls.  It's pretty rare -- only about 4
percent of women consider themselves bi . . . ."  In the next -- and longest
-- paragraph, Lee suggests more "likely" alternatives:  "Perhaps you've been
crushing on certain girls because you think they're cool . . . or maybe
you've bonded with some new gal pals and you're felling especially close.  In
other words, it's totally possible that what you're feeling has zilch to do
with sex."  

"But even if you ARE having serious thoughts, say, about what it would be
like to kiss another girl, it doesn't automatically mean that you're
bisexual," says Lee.  "Here's why:  During your teens, sexual urges go into
overdrive because your hormone levels are changing.  Result:  You're more
easily turned on, even by girls."  This theme is amplified by two photos
accompanying the column; one is captioned "Liking her doesn't mean you're in
love," the other "Your crush may just be admiration." 

"If you're not really bisexual, your attraction to females is likely to
disappear as quickly as it appeared," Lee writes.  "In the meantime" -- to
"help sort things out" -- she advises counseling, and specifically recommends
the "Peer Listening Line, at 617-267-2535."  

"The bottom line:  you don't have to decide right now whether you're straight
or bi," Lee concludes.  "If you just take things one step at a time, you
won't be so overwhelmed and your true feelings will sort themselves out."

Ultimately, Lee's "solution" -- while certainly benign -- poses a few
problems of its own.  She exhibits a distinctive media bias, more
heterosexist than phobic, which is especially common amongst advice
columnists.  Bisexuality is defined almost wholly in terms of negation -- the
thing you are necessarily NOT.  While such an emphasis might alleviate
heterosexual "agonizing," it leaves little room for other concerns.  

Though Lee acknowledges that bisexuality "really freaks some people out," she
nevertheless reports:  "It's pretty rare -- only about 4 percent of women
consider themselves bi."  It would have been more accurate -- and less
stigmatizing -- to suggest that "only 4 percent feel SAFE AND SECURE ENOUGH
to identify as bisexual."

Biphobia does not compel adolescents -- or advice columnists -- to question
heterosexuality.  And they don't.  

When 15-year-old girls write about 15-year-old-boys, no one suggests that
heterosexuality might "disappear quickly."  Though her reasoning indicates as
much, Lee never advises:  "Even if you ARE having heterosexual thoughts, it
doesn't mean that you're straight."  

The bottom line -- "you don't have to decide right now whether you're
straight or bi" -- would be better advice, if it were offered evenly to
straight AND bi alike.  A zeal for the probability of heterosexuality hinders
any genuine affirmation of other possibilities.

+++    ACTION/OPTIONS!   Just as bad columnists can do better, good
columnists could be great.  Encourage greatness.  Send critical expectations
to:  Sally Lee, Columnist/Editor, "Life Crisis," YM Magazine, 685 Third
Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

[ 2 ]

G O O D   S P O R T S

The mixture of homophobia and athletics is especially volatile.  Some of the
most stale and stinging stereotypes have been nourished in the pop culture of
sport.  "Dyke" is a routine epithet for demeaning the athletic prowess of all
women;  a "fag" is any boy who "throws like a girl."  As a derisive label,
"homosexual" is attached to women who DO and men who DON'T show an
extraordinary interest in sports.

Typically, the very weight of homophobia in sports has been matched by an
equally-pressing (and reinforcing) denial.  ABC's "Wide World of Sports" took
a step towards breaking that silence in an April 20 broadcast.  

The show's weekly "Women in the Game" segment promised "candid interviews
with gay athletes and coaches who speak about their fears and
accomplishments, as well as their loneliness, depression and isolation."
 According to network vice president Lydia Stephans, "ABC dealt with
high-profile pro athletes in both male and female sports, as well as college
administrators and coaches."  

"The slant is how it's detrimental in women's sports," Stephans further
explained.  "It's a sports issue and not just a women's sports issue, but it
seems it's women's sports that always is labeled as having a homophobic
problem."

Among the athlete-celebrities interviewed were Major League umpire Dave
Pallone and tennis pro Martina Navratilova.  Navratilova drew attention to a
significant -- and sexist -- bias she has observed amongst sports
journalists.  In her experience, reporters follow different rules in regard
to gay men and lesbians:  "I've asked a lot of writers this: 'Have you ever
asked male athletes if they were gay?'  None of them have, but many of them
have asked women athletes if they are gay.  They treat male athletes
differently . . . .  They protect them."  

Even before the program aired, the nation's most-widely circulated newspaper
-- "USA Today" -- applauded ABC for its coverage.  In his April 17 column,
Michael Hiestand offered a quick "kudos to ABC for taking on a meaty topic,
homophobia in sports."

According to ABC, "Wide World of Sports" is now "television's longest-running
and most successful anthology series."  The series premiered in 1961; a "Wide
World of Sports 35th Anniversary Special" (April 28) will profile gay/HIV+
Olympian, Greg Louganis.

+++    ACTIONS/OPTIONS!   Encourage further coverage of this important issue.
 Contact:  Jack O'Hara Executive Producer, and Lydia Stephans, Vice President
of Programming, ABC Sports, 77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023, tel.
212-456-7777, e-mail [email-masked]; "USA Today," 1000 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, VA 22220, tel. 703-276-3400, fax 703-247-3108 or 703-276-5513,
e-mail [email-masked].
    - "Wide World of Sports" is also accessible through "ABC Online," on
America OnLine (keyword: Wide World).
    - The "Women in the Game" segments are specifically sponsored by State
Farm (remember:  advertisers are the favored targets of homophobic watchdog
groups like the American Family Association).  Contact:  Edward B. Rust, Jr.,
 Chair, State Farm Insurance Companies, One State Farm Plaza, Bloomington, IL
61710, tel. 309-766-2311, fax 309-766-1783. 

[ 3 ]

E  -  M  E D I A   A C T I V I S M . . . 

 - -  "Eye on New York" (EONY) is compiling and distributing an online "list
of hate radio sponsors around the state;" for details, e-mail
[email-masked].

 - -  Change of Address:  The web site for National Public Radio is no longer
located at "butterfly.net;" the URL is now in an NPR domain
(http://www.npr.org/).

 - -  To foster "ethical consumerism," the McSpotlight web page focuses
attention on companies that support regressive policies or practices
(http://www.mcspotlight.org/).  

 - -  The gay grandson of (the late) Gene Roddenberry -- creator of the Star
Trek's media empire -- has lent his voice to the on-going call for
lesbian/gay inclusion in the "Star Trek: Voyager" TV series.  "I feel that
the producers of 'Voyager' fail to exhibit the social foresight that my
grandfather has shown," says Richard Compton.  "Only through 20th Century
activism can the 23rd Century goal of a hateless society be met."  For more
details, check out the "Voyager Visibility Project" web site, which includes
ample information about the lobbying effort and how to get involved; start by
browsing "A History of the Interaction Between the Lesbian/Gay Audience and
the Producers of Star Trek" (http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek/history.html).

 - -  Editor Petr Pronsati has announced that "Update" -- a lesbian/gay
newspaper covering Southern California -- "just put its first online issue on
the web;" Pronsati encourages feedback on this evolving venture, and notes
that "many changes still to come . . . . "
(http://www.electriciti.com/~update/).

 - - The Dyke March Coalition is seeking "the participation of ALL women,
with their ideas, energy and opinions."  Plans are underway for the fourth
annual march (June 29th, in San Francisco), which will radiate the full
spectrum of "dyke concerns -- from health issues to political prisoners, hot
sex to dyke power, racism to violence against women."  Last year's event drew
over 30,000 women, "who chanted, marched, danced, partied, and demanded human
rights."  An online mailing list provides ongoing information; send e-mail to
[email-masked] (with the message:  subscribe SFDykeMarch-announce
<first name> <last name> <e-mail address>).

 - -  Global Village Voters:  MCI and Rock The Vote have teamed up to
encourage and enable voter registration via the World Wide Web
(http://netvote96.mci.com/).

 - -  In an effort to ensure free, public Internet access, Los Angeles Gay &
Lesbian Community Services (with funding from USC) has established a "Queer
CyberCenter."  For additional information, browse the center's home page
(http://www.qcc.org).

 - -  The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) promotes "diversity in the
information age" and works "to ensure that the principles embodied in the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights are protected as new communications
technologies emerge."  EFF advocacy is the subject of two (Usenet)
newsgroups.  One is "a moderated newsgroup for announcements, newsletters,
and other information" (comp.org.eff.news); the other is "an unmoderated
group for discussing EFF and issues related to the electronic frontier"
(comp.org.eff.talk).  Both groups are also redistributed via e-mail; to be
added to either list, contact:  [email-masked]  and/or
 [email-masked].

 - -  The Reporters Committee web page provides easy "fill-in-the-blank"
access for requesting documents under the Freedom of Information Act
(http://www.rcfp.org/rcfp).

 - -  The European Journalism Centre has established a web site for
international media news and journalism resources, including a map of Europe
that hyperlinks an on-line newspaper database
(http://www.euronet.nl/~ejc01/). 

[ 4 ]

C O U N T E R  -  I N T E L L I G E N C E . . . 

  *  DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY RESEARCH   --   "Washington Watch" is a newsletter
published by the Family Research Council (FRC), a tax-exempt lobby that
promotes homophobia in legislation and social policy.  The March 26 issue
includes an editorial by FRC president Gary Bauer -- "Bashers, Bombers and
Bigots" -- in which he suggests that recent arson attacks on African-American
churches are tied to pro-choice groups, AIDS activists and "radical
homosexuals."  

The "current wave of church bombings," argues Bauer, recalls the work of
"members of the ACT-UP group," who "several years ago . . . invaded St.
Patrick's Cathedral."  With rhetoric especially ironic for the leader of a
hate group, Bauer asserts:  There is evidence of a pattern here, a pattern
that suggests a conspiracy to violate our civil rights laws . . . .  It does
not matter what motivates the haters . . .  terrorism is evil and we must
mobilize against it."

He adds:  "It does not help the cause of religious tolerance when the federal
government itself treats religion as a suspect classification.  Christian
employees of the Federal Aviation Administration are still finding their
request to start a prayer group stiff-armed by bureaucrats who welcome gay
activist groups."

Contact:  Family research Council, 700 13th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington,
DC 20005, tel. 202-393-2100 or 800-225-4008, fax 202-393-2134, Legislative
Hotline 202-783-4663, URL http://www.frc.org.

  *  SEX, LIES & VIDEO HATE   --   The Report is a heterosexual supremacist
operation, self-described as "an international voice against liberalism in
political and social arenas.  According to the official description:
 "Because of a desire to bring integrity back to reporting the news, Ty and
Jeannette Beeson, founders and executive directors, established The Report as
a multimedia resource center.  They believe that a picture is worth a
thousand words and that the right words are worth a thousand pictures."

The "pictures" produced by The Report consist of a series of homophobic
videos, promoted as "educational materials."  The most infamous title -- "The
Gay Agenda" -- was released in 1992, and the Beesons claim that over 10,000
copies have been distributed to date.  The current roster of "educational
materials" also contains these listings:  
       --  "The March on Washington (See the March on Washington that you did
not see on your local or national news coverage.  Find out how the media is
no longer reporting, but promoting the homosexual lifestyle.  When the
homosexuals were trying to put their best foot forward, they still behaved
bizarrely.  This video is approximately 15 minutes long and is very shocking
and thought provoking)."

       --  "Civil Rights or Crisis in America (Reveals a graphic modern day
Sodom and Gomorra; viewer discretion is advised.  Shows Gay activists
protesting in the streets after the veto of the Gay Rights bill, etc.)."

       --  "AIDS: The Unnecessary Epidemic (America under siege . . . the
frightening story of how the AIDS and Gay Lobbies have been able to prevent
physicians from monitoring or controlling this epidemic)."

In addition to videotapes, The Report publishes a bi-monthly magazine -- "The
Beeson Report" -- which "gives a perspective on these issues that the liberal
news media will not."

Contact:  The Report, 42640 10th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534, tel.
805-945-8786 or 800-462-4700. 

  *  SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND ESTATE?   --    The Media Research Center
(Alexandria, VA)  -- a Right Wing watchdog group -- issued a new report this
month, claiming that network newscasts systematically ignore religion.
 According to MRC chairperson Brent Bozell:  "For the third year in a row,
religion stories again represented only about 1 percent of the networks'
total coverage."  

The center's report -- "Faith in a Box" -- also cites entertainment
television, for offering less than one religious portrayal for every six
hours of programming.  "The rule remains," Bozell said.  "The more seriously
a person takes his faith, the more negative the depiction is likely to be."

The MRC was founded in 1987 to combat (mythical) "media liberalism."
 Currently, the organization boasts an annual budget of more than $3 million.

[ 5 ]

S O U N D   B I T E   .  .  .  

"For centuries, dominant groups in society have used the 'they're after your
kids' myth to marginalize subdominant groups.  The stories change, but the
pattern is always the same.  In nineteenth-century Russia, Jews were
supposedly after Christian children to use their blood in the Passover Seder,
a convenient fiction which was used to justify pogroms by the Christian
majority; in early-twentieth-century America, the need to protect the
sanctity of young white females was used as a pretext for the lynching of
twelve hundred black men between 1900 and 1940; and today, the far Right
ignores statistics that show heterosexual men (not gay men, not straight
women, not lesbians) are the disproportionate majority of child sexual
abusers . . . ."

      -  Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Teachers
Network (GLSTN), in the anthology "One Teacher in Ten"  [ Alyson
Publications, 1994 ]  

( U N ) S O U N D   B I T E   .  .  .  

"Then, to make sure that there are homosexual activist teachers trying to
indoctrinate and recruit your little children, here are some of their
homosexual activist organizations that train homosexuals to indoctrinate and
recruit children . . .  This is in the folder for 'GLSTN,' a national
organization of homosexual teachers to promote homosexuality in class.  Now
why would homosexual teachers choose an organization name with a sexual body
fluid double entendre when working with children ?!?!?!?  . . .  Is this
enough to make you vomit?"

      -  [email-masked], rambling homophobe, in America Online's new
"Focus on the Family" forum  [ March 1, 1996 ] 

_______________________________________________

A B O U T   G L A A D  . . . .

The GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION challenges homophobia in and
through the mass media . . .   shaping the forces that shape our society.  

Founded in 1988, the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER of GLAAD is an
independently incorporated, nonprofit organization, which is volunteer-based
and member-supported.  Dedicated to cultural advocacy and media activism,
GLAAD/SFBA promotes the fair, accurate and diverse representation of lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender lives.  The San Francisco chapter of GLAAD is
the largest and oldest in the nation.

To report any defamatory or affirmative media coverage, call the 24-hour
"MediAlert Hotline" (415-861-4588), or write to:  "MediAlert," Gay & Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco,
CA 94103, tel. 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail [email-masked], URL
 http://www.ccnet.com/gaytrek/glaad.html.

________________________________________________

A B O U T   M E D I A L E R T S . . . .

"MediAlert!" [TM] is a weekly, activist-oriented column of media criticism,
produced and distributed on request.  This material may be printed, published
or posted, under these or any titles, in whole or part, without prior
permission.  When appropriate, attribution may be made to "Al Kielwasser."  

Next "MediAlert!"  =  April 28.
Next "GLAAD Media/BRIEFS"  =  April 28.
Next Project 21 "Class Activist"  =  May 1.

________________________________________________

A B O U T   M E M B E R S H I P . . . .

To request a membership brochure or further information about other GLAAD
projects and programs, please contact Bonnie Haley, Secretary, tel.
415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail [email-masked], URL
 http://www.ccnet.com/gaytrek/glaad.html.

For membership information in any of the following cities, direct requests to
these GLAAD Chapter Offices:  Atlanta (tel. 404-876-1398, fax 404-876-4051),
Chicago (tel. 312-871-7633, fax 312-685-8064), Dallas (tel. 214-521-5342 ext.
816, fax 214-247-5803), Kansas City (tel. 816-374-5927, fax 816-561-7604),
Washington, DC (tel. 202-429-9500, fax 202-857-0077), San Diego (tel.
619-688-0094, fax 619-294-4814).

________________________________________________
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/San Francisco Bay Area is a
nonprofit [501(c)(3)] organization.